There's lots of major stories in the news this week including - a 6.2 earthquake in Argentina this morning, an increase in CMEs - murder and mayhem (Amanda Knox and Dr. Conrad Murray) - the growing number of Protestors on Wall Street (witnessed each day by friends and clients and going somewhere big) - the political landscape (Sarah Palin and Chris Christie won't run for President) - but another major 'game changer' happened Wednesday night with the death of Steve Jobs after a long illness.
Steve is considered one of the defining figures, and creative geniuses, in the field of technology, which seemed to be racing towards some greater destiny that allows us to communicate better and faster ... Can you figure out why ... where it is going and who is guiding this?
Steve Jobs saw the future and led the world to it. He moved technology from garages to pockets, took entertainment from discs to bytes and turned gadgets into extensions of the people who use them. Jobs, who founded and ran Apple, told us what we needed before we wanted it. Apple announced his death without giving a specific cause. He died peacefully on Wednesday, according to a statement from family members who were present. He was 56. Outside Apple's Cupertino headquarters, three flags - an American flag, a California state flag and an Apple flag - were flying at half-staff late Wednesday. Apple's new CEO is Tim Cook.
Living in NYC - there are few people I know who do not have an Apple product of one kind or another, especially with the constant upgrades of products and apps, that would tempt anybody. Once you make the switch, there is no going back.
My first computer, mentioned on Tuesday's blog, the one Z guided me to buy to write the first draft of "Sarah and Alexander" in 1989, was my first and last PC. In 1994 - when it was time to get serious and get online, a friend named Eileen, who did graphics for media and billboards across the city, told me it was time to switch to Apple - and I did - never regretting my choice.
Those were the days people would laugh at me for buying a Mac due to its lack of compatibility with PC software and for some time they were right. Yet when others complained about crashing computers, viruses that infected their system - my first Power Mac chugged along until it was time to update to a newer version.
Through the years I watched as people switched from PC to Apple - happy with their choice. Crystalinks' admin, Trae, was one of those people and shocked me when he switched to a Mac in 2006. Many people I know use a PC at work, but Apple products for everything else. It all changes so quickly, that a new product today is 'history' in 6 months, if not sooner.
Check out the features on the iPhone4 S which was launched this Tuesday. I like the voice-recognition service, but as there is no keypad - remain with Sprint and my Samsung Epic.
Most people in my age group don't know that much about computers - just how to turn them on - check favorite places, but for me, Steve Jobs and Apple have made this an exciting adventure which encompasses human and computer technologies in the programming of this reality.
Steve was a visionary in his field. He said he wanted to put a "Ding" in the universe - which goes along the consciousness programming to help in a global way not just a personal one ... and so he did. Einstein said that ultimately the universe is simple. That was Steve's philosophy and definitely mine. You may recall that the word 'succinct' is one of my favorites. Keep it simple and fast moving. Never dwell. Either it works or it doesn't.
In the days ahead you will read all about the life and legacy of Steve Jobs and will understand who he was and how he changed the world. The world will mourn Steve Jobs using one or more of his inventions to communicate their feelings and experiences with him and Apple products. The passing of Steve Jobs is an ending - in a long line that humanity is experiencing and will continue to experience now.
Steve Jobs Google Videos
Steve Jobs was an American businessman, and the
co-founder and chief executive officer of Apple Inc.
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
The spiritual side of Steve Jobs
CNN - October 6, 2011
October 7, 2011 - Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur is the Jewish holiday of the Day of Atonement and is the most holy day of the Jewish year. Most ancient religions, and some prophecies, speak of a Day of Atonement or Judgment. This refers to Creating Balance at the End of Time when positive meets negative in the electromagnetic grids of experience. A 'tone' will be heard, ushering in the return to consciousness when matter and antimatter merge, and Above rejoins with Below. In that instant of balance, consciousness evolves back to its natural state of light.
Yom Kippur generally comes around the
time of Libra and the Autumn Solstice,
when day and night are of equal lengths, our
attention drawn to the mysteries of balance.
Ancient Egypt - Weighing of the Feather
Has a feather flown passed you recently?
The Ark of the Covenant and Yom Kippur
The Ark of the Covenant resided in the Holy of Holies, the innermost room of the Tabernacle. Access was permitted only on Yom Kippur - given only to the high priest who entered with the blood of a goat on behalf of his own, and the sins of the people of Israel.
The War in Afghanistan began as the armed forces of the United States and the United Kingdom, and the Afghan United Front (Northern Alliance), launched Operation Enduring Freedom in response to the September 11 attacks on the United States, with the stated goal of dismantling the Al-Qaeda terrorist organization and ending its use of Afghanistan as a base. The United States also said that it would remove the Taliban regime from power and create a viable democratic state.
The cost of the war reportedly was a major factor as U.S. officials considered drawing down troops in 2011. A March 2011 Congressional Research Service report notes the following about Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) Afghanistan: 1) following the Afghanistan surge announcement in 2009, Defense Department spending on Afghanistan has increased 50%, going from $4.4 billion to $6.7 billion a month. During that time, troop strength has gone from 44,000 to 84,000, and it is expected to be at 102,000 for fiscal year 2011; 2) The total operational cost for Afghanistan from the beginning of the conflict in 2001 through 2006 only slightly exceeds the amount spent in 2010 alone - $93.8 billion. The projected total cost relating to Afghanistan in fiscal year 2011 is expected to be $118.6 billion.
As of June 2010, the war in Afghanistan became the United States' longest war, if the length of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War is measured from August 7, 1964, to March 1973.
On June 22, 2011, President Obama announced that 10,000 U.S. troops would be withdrawn by the end of 2011. An additional 23,000 troops will leave the country by the summer of 2012.
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Afghanistan: 10 years, 10 perspectives CNN - October 5, 2011
October 7, 2011, marks the 10th anniversary of the U.S. war in Afghanistan, a conflict that has drawn passionate praise and criticism since its beginning. The war began in response to the 9/11 attacks in 2001, with the goal of ending al Qaeda terrorist activity. As the 10th anniversary of the Afghan War nears, 10 iReporters outline 10 very different experiences of their years with the war. A common thread: Life will never be the same.
One-in-three vets say Iraq, Afghan wars were not worth it MSNBC - October 5, 2011
One in three U.S. veterans of the post-9/11 military believes the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were not worth fighting, and a majority think that after 10 years of combat America should be focusing less on foreign affairs and more on its own problems, according to an opinion survey released Wednesday.
